Overview:
Drag Queen Tours: Where Fun Meets Fabulous!
Drag Queen Tours LLC is a boutique NYC historical travel company that is a booking platform offering private and large group tours and experiences that sashay around the city led by a certified professional tour guide Drag Queen.
The brief included a website audit, website branding, customer journey to the Point of Sales, persona development, icon development, and wireframing.
Duration: 3 months for redesign (continuous upgrade)
Tools: Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, Zoom, FigJam, Wix, Microsoft products, Cell phone, Pen and Paper
Role: Founder and Owner, Lead UX Researcher, UX/UI Designer
Methods: Scrum, Agile, and Design Collaboration
Born in the pandemic (2020!), Drag Queen Tours started as a way to bring back the sparkle to NYC. We showcase the city's most vibrant and fabulous spots with a healthy dose of drag queen sass!
Fast forward to 2022, and things needed a makeover. Website visits were low (around 50 a week) and bookings weren't exactly overflowing.
That's where I came in!
My mission? To get more people booking tours and capture the "fun meets fabulous" spirit of Drag Queen Tours online.
Research
Starting fresh can be tough! To get a sense of what needed improvement, I talked to users. Here's their feedback on the original site:
Homepage Issues:
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Confusing Logos: Users questioned the purpose of logos at the bottom of the homepage.
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Inconsistent Calls to Action: Inconsistent "Book Now" buttons made it unclear where to take action.
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Missing Review Links: Users wanted to know if logos linked to reviews on external websites.
Pricing Page Issues:
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Unclear Pricing Structure: Users were unsure if prices changed for special occasions.
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Lack of Information: Users wanted details about the bus tour option readily available.
FAQ/About Page Issues:
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Confusing Page Order: Users felt the FAQ section should be before the About Us page.
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Unclear Titles: The titles on these pages were confusing for users.
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Accessibility: Colors and spacing made it difficult for some users to navigate the site.
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Repetitive Content: Information was repeated in multiple places, which can be confusing.
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Cluttered Design: Too many distracting elements made it hard to understand what services are offered.
Previous Iteration
*Click on the image and highlight pink areas where a problem to users
What needed to be done
After receiving feedback, I collaborated with a UX/UI designer to improve important sections of the website.
We revamped the homepage to captivate visitors and encourage them to explore further.
Additionally, we restructured the tour information and pricing to simplify the booking process and created a comprehensive FAQ page to provide clients with all the necessary information.
Observation
Excite
Refine
Industry Insights
New York City has tons of tour companies, so I knew my client's website needed to stand out!
To achieve this, I researched what makes other successful tour websites tick
Products
Pricing
Audience
Strengths
Weaknesses
The fundamental unifying factor of each tour company is communicating the "WHY" behind the tour/ tour company.
"Why take this tour and not some other b*tch?"
Subsequently, the consistent wireframes, prices, and complimentary images.
Why and who would would love this tour?
This tour is perfect for three types of people: (Then list the client types).
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Gay Male Couples ( 32 - 45 years )
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LGBTQ+ Female Couple/ Allies ( 28 - 35 years )
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Gay Male directors of LGBTQ+ groups or organizations ( 47 - 55 years )
Updated Look and Feeling of Site (Style Guide)
Clients mentioned the website's color scheme and font style needed an update. The old design used cool tones and a single font, which wasn't very engaging.
To create a more exciting homepage that grabs attention as users scroll, I looked at various website themes and mood boards for inspiration. These included tear sheets, Pinterest boards, and client feedback.
This is a simplified and fun version of the website's vibe: "Let's paint the town rainbow!" The website will be a "FUN and Fabulous" extravaganza, inspired by drag culture. Expect bright colors like Barbie pink and turquoise, with black and white to balance it out. It'll be a campy delight, just like drag itself.
To make your website more engaging, it's important to add personality to your headlines and text. For headings, use bold and whimsical fonts like Nunito Extra Bold. For body text, choose professional and easy-to-read fonts like Anenir Light, which still feel fun and inviting.
Wireframes and Updates
We got rid of the dull templates!
The UX designer and I collaborated to design a website layout that is user-friendly yet vibrant. Drag Queen Tours should have a professional appearance while still being enjoyable!
Putting it all Together
After multiple iterations, all the components were put together.
Website Highlights:
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Homepage:
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Simplified navigation: About, Tours, Media, and Book Now button.
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Easy to scroll through: Services, company overview, reviews, and affiliates.
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Makes finding key information quick and easy.
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Tours Page:
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Two tour options: Small groups (2-8 people) and large groups (8+ people).
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Clients can choose specific areas to personalize their experience.
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About Page:
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Explains why Drag Queen Tours is the best choice with short, easy-to-read points.
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Details the benefits of the tour experience.
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Introduces the tour guide and the company's story.
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Impact and Results
The website revamp was a total showstopper!
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Bounce rate took a nosedive: Down a whopping 82.2%, users were much more engaged and stayed exploring.
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Traffic skyrocketed: Weekly visits exploded from a mere 50 to an impressive 1.1K on average, that's a 22x increase!
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Bookings boomed: From just 1 booking every month, we saw a fabulous 4x increase to a monthly average of 4 bookings!
Overall, this site was a delight to develop. Drag Queen Tours connected with so many clients in new and exciting ways.
From the engaging design to the improved user experience, this website truly embodied the "fun and fabulous" spirit of Drag Queen Tours.
We highly recommend this tour company. We loved every minute and by the end, we felt like family. If you are looking for. a personalized tour filled with fun facts and amazing drag, then Drag Queen Tours NYC is the company for you!
Five Star Reviews